Happily Never After
by Yellow-eyed-wonder
Summary: Born as royalty. Born as an heir. Princess Elsa had more in store for her future than most could ever dream of. But when her world begins to cascade into ruin, what fate awaits her and the peaceful kingdom of Arendelle?
1. Chapter 1

**A/N:** Hello everyone! This is my first multi-chapter fic in quite some time (and my first Frozen one) so I am very excited about this! This is also much darker than the things I usually write, with A' Frigid Farewell' being the exception (which was actually practice for tackling this fic). So, anyway, I really hope you enjoy this and if you have a moment, a review is always a wonderful motivator and serves as very valuable feedback!

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><p><span>Happily Never After<span>

"I did it, Elsa! I saved Arendelle! I saved Arendelle!" A young, 5 year old Anna shouted in pure glee as she held the stuffed version of herself in her tiny hands, raising its little fingerless arms high in sweet victory.

"You did, Anna! Great job!" cried Elsa with all of the enthusiasm of an 8 year old. She, too, held a tiny stuffed doll resembling herself within her hands. The two sisters played joyously in the midst of their large, luxurious bedroom which was splashed with various shades of vibrant pinks and purples. The day quickly approaching dusk, the girls were taking advantage of what little time they had left to romp and play, for it wouldn't be long before their parents, the King and Queen themselves, would arrive to tuck them in for the night- no matter how much the little princesses may try to protest.

Anna lifted her gaze to slowly meet her sister's; her eyes soft and pleading with a smile spread wide across her round little face. "Hey, Elsa… You know what would be fuuun?"

Elsa's gaze fell down to her knees as a tiny frown made itself evident upon her naturally pale features. She knew immediately what it was her sister desired. "Anna, you know that I'm not allowed to do that in here."

Anna, not at all satisfied with her big sister's response, dropped her doll and laced her fingers tightly together, pulling her bonded hands against her chest in a desperate beg. "Oh, please! Please, Elsa?! Just this one time?"

"Well…" Elsa paused, biting her lip nervously as she shifted her sight to the doorway. Her parents had been exceedingly clear on the matter and the last thing she wished was to cause unnecessary conflict. Nevertheless, it was immensely difficult for Elsa to ignore the pleading behind those large, glistening blue eyes. And that voice, oh, her sweet little voice. How could she possibly resist? "Alright, but we have to be fast," she stated after a moment of hesitation. Out of utter joy Anna leapt up and down like a tiny joey springing through the vast outback as Elsa began to summon the first hint of magic between her palms. The icy, glittering blue dust wisped this way and that, spiraling around a center where the first traces of snow were magically beginning to take form. The once grain-sized ball of snow grew quickly until the snowball had reached an admirable size. Once Elsa ceased the use of her magic, satisfied with the result, gravity commanded the massive snowball onto the plush pink carpet below.

"Snow!" Anna shouted from the top of her voice as she allowed herself to fall face first, arms outstretched, into the fresh powder. The tiny princess couldn't help the rage of giggles that instantly ensued. Elsa's heart caught painfully in her throat. Was Anna _trying _to get them in trouble? Why on earth did she find it necessary to be so obnoxiously loud?

"Anna, shhhh," Elsa said as she pulled a single finger up to her lips, "This is a secret, remember?"

Anna gazed up at her worried sibling, snow liberally strewn throughout her strawberry-blonde hair; flecks scattered upon her face. A tiny giggle crept up and out from her chest. "Ohhhh, ok. Secret." She nodded her head in understanding and swiftly gathered a handful of the cold white substance. It was odd. The 5 year old had been exposed to Elsa's natural coolness and her magical powder and ice so often, the cold didn't affect her nearly the same as it would any other ordinary individual. She could impressively touch and handle the two for quite some time before she would begin to experience anything of a negative nature. Slowly, Elsa peered once more to the door across their room, ever watchful of their soon-to-be-returning parents. Suddenly, a soft yet firm impact to her cheek stole her from her worried thoughts. As she turned, her eyes met Anna's which were smiling with pride after successfully hitting her target with the nicely packed ball of snow.

"Ohhh, you're gonna get it!" Elsa cried out playfully. Her eyes were hungry for revenge and her mouth was curled in a determined smirk. With her hand before her, she quickly summoned a perfectly formed snowball; primed for its victim. She could see the excitement aglow in Anna's eyes, a sight which only fueled her further. In turn, her younger sibling reached out to form some more precious ammo, but before she even had a chance to dip her fingers in, Elsa had sent the snowy weapon of choice hurling into her sister's left shoulder.

Anna let out a feigned, wounded gasp, "That's not fair! I can't make snow like you can."

"Oh yeah? Well, what are you going to do about it?" Elsa taunted.

Anna's eyebrows furrowed in determination, dipping her hands into the snow and forming a perfect ball. With an expert flick of her wrist, the snowball exploded against the impact of Elsa's chest.

"Oh, it's on," Elsa declared, her voice thick with arrogance.

The girls broke into an all-out war, snowballs soaring this way and that way; the majority pelting their intended targets with frightening accuracy. Frozen dust wisped around them and the room, covering the ground with an ultra-fine powder. They chased each other relentlessly. Elsa resorted to taking post on her bed; making an effective barricade out of the footboard. They continued on in this manner for quite some time. While caught up in their intense battle, however, they failed to hear the sound of the slowly approaching footsteps. The door to their bedroom opened slowly. Elsa froze. Little Anna was still lost in a fit of giggles.

"Elsa!" The stern tone of the King's voice and her name alone was all that was necessary to convey his displeasure to the scene that played out in front of him. Elsa slowly got down from the bed and stood in before the mess she had created.

"I'm… I'm sorry Papa," Elsa apologized with nervousness heavily laced in her voice. She redirected her gaze to the snowy floor beneath her feet as she placed her hands shamefully behind her back.

"Elsa, I am certain we have had this discussion many times before. Did I not make myself clear?" The Queen winced slightly at his harshness, but managed to maintain her composure. She understood it was all out of his concern for Elsa and that he had his reasons. Anna's eyes were growing wide with fear. Her father's words cut like a knife. This was all her fault. She pushed Elsa to do this.

"You did. I just…" her words were quickly cut off by those of Anna's, who quickly rushed to her aid.

"No, no, no. It was me. I made the mess. Please don't yell at Elsa." Elsa's chest swelled with warmth as her sister attempted to defend her. Why was Anna so willing to take the blame?

King Agdar raised a curious eyebrow to his youngest daughter. "You made this mess?"

Anna nodded her head. "Uh huh, uh huh! I have magic, too! Just like Elsa."

"You do, do you?" responded the Queen, also amused. She smiled at her daughter's desperate attempt to save her sister from punishment.

She may have only been 5, but she was rather bright for her young age. It was obvious that they were simply playing along. "Okay, fine. I don't have powers. But it was all my idea. Elsa didn't want to do it."

The Queen turned her attention to her eldest. "Is this true, Elsa?"

Elsa's gaze met hers, her head still slightly tilted downward and her eyes beginning to gloss over with tears. "Yes. But please, don't get mad at Anna. I didn't have to give in. I just wanted to make her happy."

The combined words from the two daughters were enough to thaw the sternest, coldest of hearts. The King and Queen looked to one another, each nodding their head in mutual agreement, effectively giving up the battle. The King let go a heavy sigh, carrying with it some of his built up tension, then spoke, this time in a much softer, kinder tone, "We'll let you go for your actions this time, girls. But I expect that there won't be a repeat of this event in the future?"

"No, Papa." Elsa responded, still feeling incredibly small. It wasn't until the King knelt down and offered his arms out that Elsa felt the sweet surge of relief course through her body. Without a moment of hesitation, she rushed into the warm embrace of her father. She hugged him tight, clutching pinches of silky fabric into her firm grasp. The tears that she had so bravely been holding back gently began to fall from her eyes, though she was mindful not to whimper. He held her close. "Oh, Elsa. You know we love you. We just have rules for a reason and we expect them to be followed."

"I know, Papa. I understand. I love you, too." Elsa sighed heavily into his chest, thankful that no one was upset any longer. The King gently pulled Elsa away and looked her kindly in the eyes. "Why don't you go say goodnight to your mama, alright?"

"Okay," Elsa replied as she gently nodded her head and wiped the tear stains away with her sleeve. Her father continued on to tend to Anna, wishing her a goodnight and tucking her into bed. After observing her father and her younger sister for a brief moment, Elsa made her way over to her mom; gravitating toward her kind, warm, protective energy. She knew her father loved her, she did, but never did she feel as safe and content as she did when she was enveloped in the loving arms of her mother; her scent alone sufficing in comforting the young princess and putting her mind and body at ease. She knelt down as she relished in her mother's soothing embrace. "I love you, Mama."

"I love you too, sweetheart," she spoke to her tenderly, rubbing her back gently to comfort her. "Don't you worry about tonight, alright?"

"But… Papa sounded so mad," Elsa said quietly, careful that her voice didn't carry to her father's ears.

"I know. It'll be alright, Elsa. Come, let's go to bed." The Queen stood and took Elsa's hand in her own, helping her up and walking her over to tuck her in for the night. "I promise you, everything is fine, my angel," she said as she assisted in pulling the covers over her daughter. "Now, sleep well." She leaned down and placed a gentle kiss upon Elsa's forehead. Elsa smiled at the contact.

As the King and Queen were making their leave after extinguishing the last of the lanterns, a tiny voice traveled from the left side of the dim bedroom.

"Goodnight."

"Goodnight, Elsa," her mother lovingly responded as she quietly latched the bedroom door behind her.

Elsa lay there silently in the moon-lit room, her eyes slowly adjusting to the dimness of her surroundings. She wasn't the least bit tired- not after the events that had just taken place moments before. It was strange. Never had her father displayed such displeasure towards her in the past. Never. So why now? Why over something so incredibly innocent? Sure, the carpet was going to be sopping wet come morning, but that's nothing the castle staff couldn't handle. Her mind then shifted somewhere it hadn't before. Could it be her powers? Did he dislike them? Come to think of it, so many of his rules had to do with exactly that. 'No using your magic around guests." "No using your magic in public." "No using your magic in your bedroom." No magic. No magic. No magic. Was her father, the King of Arendelle, ashamed of his daughter? Ashamed of the magic that coursed through her veins, that was as much a part of her as the hair atop her head?

Elsa felt her body begin to tense as her mind continued to race with more distressing thoughts. She noticed an unusual, cool tingling in the very tips of her tiny fingers, but she simply ignored it. Her mind was being barraged by far too much at once to care. After so many upsetting and confusing thoughts had entered and exited her tired, exhausted mind, Elsa succumbed at last to the temporary peace that can only be brought by sleep.


	2. Chapter 2

****A/N:** Hello guys. It's, uh.. been a while. So sorry about that. I have absolutely no intentions on ditching this story. I just fell out of things for a while. But, rest assured, I'm back and already have chapter 3 in the works. If you like it, please feel free to review. :) It really helps!**

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><p>"Elsa. It's time to get up, Sweetie."<p>

The caressing, soothing melody of her mother's voice pulled the young princess from the hold of her peaceful slumber. Buried deep beneath her layers of blankets; her body curled tightly under the bulky material. It was as if, for the first time in her life, she had actually managed to catch a chill. Elsa's eyes opened to greet the new morning; her vision still blurred from sleep. The harsh rays streaming in from the bedroom window assaulted her not-yet-dilated eyes. Her mind was, at least for the moment, blissfully washed of the stressful events that had occurred the night before. "Good morning, Mama," she spoke with a yawn, turning her head slightly until her tired gaze met her mother's.

"Good morning. Breakfast is almost ready. Will you be coming down to join us?"

"Mmmhmm," she responded, her thoughts not yet completely coherent. She remained buried deep under her covers; the piles of fabric having given her a sense of security and protection throughout the night.

"Alright. Why don't you go get changed and meet us downstairs in 20 minutes," the Queen suggested in a still gentle tone.

Elsa merely nodded her weary head before the Queen turned and made her leave, closing the door behind her. The sun beamed brightly through the tall bedroom window and Elsa squinted as the golden rays flickered and met her eyes. With her mind finally cleared of her momentary daze, she slowly propped herself up in her bed. In the process, she became aware of a peculiar stiffness plaguing both of her tiny hands. Suddenly frightened, the princess tore her hands from underneath the covers; her face somehow achieving an even paler shade as she discovered the extremely unsettling sight. Holding her hands before her, her eyes wide and brimmed with fear, she examined the jagged layer of ice that now encased them.

_What? What's wrong with me? _Elsa expressed her worry silently as she stared her affliction in the face. The quickening pace of her heartbeat and the ugly, growing ball of worry, seeded deep in the pit of her stomach, were more than noticeable. _Calm, stay calm. What should I do? _She remained there for a moment, quietly; an anxious, frozen mound atop her mattress, until it became clear of what she should do. Carefully, she climbed down from her bed and made her way over to the door. The knob proved to be quite the unwelcome challenge, her lacking the use of her now ice covered fingers. Through some diligence, however, she was successful.

Elsa's two tiny, quivering legs carried her swiftly into the hallway. She had been under the impression that breakfast already had everyone thoroughly occupied, so it came as quite the unwelcome surprise when the King caught a glimpse of his frantic daughter whipping around the corner on the way to his study.

"Elsa?" the King inquired, freezing Elsa dead in her tracks. Quickly and yet with as much nonchalance as she could possibly muster, the young girl turned to face her father as she shoved her icy hands protectively behind her.

"Hi, Papa," she said, struggling to keep any hint of a nervous tone at bay.

"Are you alright, dear? You seem rather… flustered."

"No, no. I'm okay. Just in a hurry to get down to breakfast, is all," she said as she tried to convince him with a smile. Fortunately for the young princess, the King had been headed to his study to drop off some rather important letters, which he had just received from a neighboring kingdom, before eating. His mind was so sufficiently occupied that he failed to notice the slight glint of fear within her eyes as well as the frown desperately tugging at the corners of her feigned grin.

"Well, alright, then. Hurry on down to breakfast once you've gotten yourself ready," the King replied as he turned and went on to his study.

Spilling over the top with relief that she had somehow dodged being questioned any further, Elsa wasted no time in continuing to the washroom. Once safely across the barrier, she closed the door securely behind her to make certain her shame would remain hidden. At last, having a moment to try and absorb the information, she glanced down once more at her frost glazed hands; concern thickly plastered over her face. How did this happen? Had it been triggered by the events of the last night? _Last night, _she remembered.

She had still been very worried as she fell asleep after the incident with her father. The many memories from the night before came flooding back like the water from a busted dam, and with them, the ice began to further constrict her little hands. _Shhh, Elsa. Calm down. It'll just get worse if you don't. _Elsa filled her chest with a long, steady breath, which graciously carried with it a small amount of anxiety upon exhale. The drop of sheer pressure as the constricting ice crystals started to give way brought her some much needed relief. _Alright, it's not as bad, but now what am I going to do? _She peered up to where the wash basin had been situated on top of a large, marble counter. It must have been filled only moments before; still appearing quite warm with how the steam danced and swirled as it fled from the source. Elsa's aqua-blue eyes then wandered to the wooden foot stool which lay, among some other miscellaneous supplies, in the corner of the room. She may have felt that she was already quite grown, but there were of course some things that still required some assistance, though, before, that never seemed to pose much of a problem.

Elsa tried to lift the stool which was now very awkwardly sandwiched between her two ice enclosed hands. Following some minor difficulty, she managed to hobble her way back to the wash basin, setting it down before her. She climbed atop and warily glanced down at the steaming tub of water. It was hot. She could already feel the sticky, burning moisture liberally coating her exposed skin. To someone with such a naturally cool temperature, heat had never been much of a welcomed friend.

But what better to melt ice than heat? As much as she dreaded the act, she drew a sharp breath and plunged her frozen hands into the steaming bath. The intense irritation as the heated water bit at her hands was, at first, almost too much to bear. Slowly, however, she became somewhat acclimated to the sensation of pins-and-needles and began to rub her hands back and forth in an attempt to aid the ice in its melting. A sweet surge of relief flowed through the young princess's veins as she witnessed the last of the ice falling away. _It worked!_

Lifting her now-ice-free hands from the basin, she shook them vigorously to rid them of the offending water. She protectively lifted her cupped, scorching hands under her chin in a similar fashion one would do if they were desperately attempting to get warm. A heavy sigh, containing a strange mixture of both anxiety and relief, parted the princess's lips. What had brought this incident about and why, she was not entirely sure. She was certain, however, that she never wished it to occur again.

Finally, after a brief pause to further gather her confused and jumbled thoughts, she continued to finish preparing for breakfast, trying her hardest not to pay the incident too much mind.

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><p>It wasn't long before Elsa had finally greeted her family in the castle's magnificent dining area. The rows of tall, glorious windows shone brightly with the rays of the morning sun; naturally illuminating the room in a soft, warm, and inviting light. The shimmering rays danced silently over the brilliantly polished wooden floors. Elsa slowly made her way to the long, beautiful mahogany table at which her family already sat eating, not exactly looking forward to the interactions that surely awaited her.<p>

"Mornin', Elsa!" voiced a very enthusiastic Anna. Perched upon her elevated children's seat, she cheerfully grabbed her plate of food, out of which she had 'fashionably' created a monster of sorts using her eggs and eating utensils, and proudly displayed it to her sister. "Look what I made!" she bubbly exclaimed as she let loose her signature giggle.

With the stresses of the morning still largely having their grip on her, she tried her best to play along with the hope that it would somehow help steal away some of her worry. Elsa managed a chuckle, but it was not beaming with nearly as much enthusiasm as her sister's had been. Then again, even during the most typical of days it was quite a feat to match little Anna's level of excitement. She added a smile before giving praise for her sister's little 'masterpiece' and joined her family at the table. Queen Idun requested that Gerda, one of the kingdom's more valued servants, as evidenced by her closeness to the royal family, deliver Elsa her breakfast. Within a short moment, the kind woman brought to her a plate of 'eggerøre med løk', or scrambled eggs and lox, alongside a tall crystal glass of freshly-pressed apple juice.

"Thank you, Gerda," Elsa voiced softly.

"You're very welcome, my girl. Eat up," Gerda responded before she marched her way back into the kitchen, offering the family some privacy.

Elsa glanced down at the generous portion of food before her; conflict heavy in her eyes. In all honesty, she really hadn't developed much in the way of an appetite with her stomach still tied up in knots. She had no desire, however, about to put herself into the position to be further interrogated. Lifting her fork, she began to slowly pick at her eggs. Each and every bite, no matter how small, took a tremendous amount of effort and the time had never seemed to pass by more slowly. The King and Queen, now focusing their attention on each other, began to lightly discuss some royal matters.

"So, Dear, what are your thoughts about the recent happenings in Weselton?" inquired the King.

"It's just terrible. I do truly hope the family recovers. Is there anything we can do?"

"I am in the process of organizing a meeting. I am positive that we'll be able to offer some form of aid. They are, of course, of much importance to our kingdom. It would certainly be a misguided move on our part if we simply ignored the matter."

The conversation, which was not exactly the epitome of excitement to an eight year old, had only held Elsa's attention for a brief amount of time. It wasn't long before she was, once again, concentrating on the still mostly uneaten food glaring back at her from her plate. Anna couldn't help but notice her big sister's apparent lack of appetite. "Aren't you hungry, Elsa?"

Without turning her head, Elsa shifted her gaze to Anna and casted a slight smirk. "Look who's talking. At least I'm not playing with mine."

Anna retorted with an extended tongue which contained all of the attitude in the world. Elsa couldn't help it but giggle at her sister's antics.

"But really, it's fine, Anna. My tummy just hurts a little." She then redirected her attention to her still untouched glass of apple juice. Perhaps, if she couldn't stomach anything to eat, she could at least drink a little something. Slowly and with about the same amount of gusto as when she had been nibbling at her eggs, she lifted the glass until it met her lips and the cool, sweet fluid graced her tongue. It wasn't so bad. Within mere moments, however, the liquid's flow had seized completely. Confused, as she was certain she couldn't have already emptied her glass, Elsa pulled it from her and peered, curiously, inside. What looked back at her, however, was not at all what she had been expecting. The contents were entirely frozen and the glass glistened with a fine, but noticeable, layer of frost. After witnessing what she had done without a trace of recollection of having done so, Elsa was startled and lost her delicate grip on the glass; instantly breaking into an array of icy shards as it became well acquainted with the dining room floor. The sudden clamor of shattering ice and glass, of course, did not go undetected.

The King, Queen, and Anna jolted in their seats, startled from the abrupt disruption of their relatively quiet morning.

"What was that?!" the King hollered in confusion. Unfortunately for Elsa, her father's blade-sharp tone, though not directly intended for her, was the last thing her fragile state of mind needed.

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" Elsa begged forgiveness as if she had just committed some truly heinous act, because in her mind, she had.

"Elsa, what happened?" their mother inquired gently, attempting to grab hold of the situation.

"My juice. I don't know why but, but it froze on me. It dropped… I wasn't expecting it. It was an accident." Tears immediately became evident in her large, fright-laden eyes. "I'm so sorry!"

Concern overcame the King over his daughter's sudden outburst. He had suspected that things weren't quite right when Elsa stood before him in the hallway only an hour or so ago. "Elsa, shhh, try to calm down. It's just a broken glass. I'll call for Gerda and she'll get it all taken care of."

"But… but I don't even know how it happened! I swear, I didn't do it on purpose."

"I know, Sweetie. It's alright." Queen Idun attempted, though likely in vain, to comfort her clearly distressed daughter. It pained her to watch Elsa get herself so worked up over something so little, especially when it was so out of character for the young princess.

"Was it because of your tummy ache, Elsa?" Of course, Anna had felt it necessary to chime in… Had Elsa known her little fib would draw even further attention to herself, she never would have said a word to her persistently nosey sister.

"What's that, Elsa? You're not feeling well?" questioned her father, concerned.

"No. I mean, yes. I, uh…" Elsa grew incredibly flustered, her young mind only able to withstand so much pressure, and was at a complete loss of words. Her head felt as if it would surely explode at any instant. She couldn't handle it. She had to get away. "Can I be excused, please?" The King and Queen locked gazes and, without a single word needing to be exchanged, came to a silent but mutual agreement.

"Of course, Elsa. But come with me." The Queen raised herself from the table and led Elsa by the hand. Her hand… it was freezing. Her body temperature had always been somewhat cooler than what was typically deemed 'normal', but this was an uncomfortable, painful kind of cold. It pricked and nipped at the mother's skin, but she didn't dare escalate the shaky situation further by mentioning it. Once safely concealed behind the privacy of the door, she gently and quietly knelt down to Elsa's level, looking her softly in the eyes. "Want to talk to me, Sweetie? What's wrong?"

At first, Elsa averted her gaze entirely; having absolutely no desire to speak about it. As hard as she tried to fight it, however, an eight year old, just as anyone, has a breaking point, especially when within the reach of her mother's tender, healing embrace. Without any further thought, Elsa instinctively flung herself into her mother's open arms and started to bawl heavily into the fabric her silken dress. "I'm so sorry, Mama! I didn't mean to do it!"

The Queen tightened her grip on her crying Elsa and rested her chin into the crook of her neck, maximizing the amount of comforting contact. "Shhh, I know that, Honey." Parting Elsa from herself slightly, she gazed into her daughter's glassy, tear-filled eyes. She knew very well that this was over more than just a broken glass. "What's troubling you, Snowflake? Please, talk to me."

More tears rushed to consume Elsa's now bloodshot eyes. Her expression winced as she began to confess the one thing that she had been hiding from everyone, including herself. "I'm scared, Mama!"

"Scared? Of what, Darling?" she asked as she assisted in removing the tears that ran lines down her daughter's precious features.

"My powers. They're scaring me. They're just doing things without me knowing it. I don't know what to do..." Once more, she delved into her mother's warm embrace. This time, however, a sheet of ice crept from where she stood; slowly slithering across the floor until it abruptly halted about two feet from where it began. Elsa heard the crackling. Smelled the frost. She felt it as the magic rushed its way from within her like a caged animal finding its way to freedom. But she couldn't control it. She looked down; her eyes crying in terror. "See, I told you, Mama! I can't control it!" She began clutching the fabric of her mother's dress within her tightened fists as her breathing became harsh and rapid. "I'm so scared!"

The Queen held her close once more, this time growing frightened herself. Why couldn't Elsa maintain control? Nothing of this nature had ever happened in the past. Her powers had always served as a good source of entertainment for the two girls. Fun. Enchanting. Mysterious. But never –not once- scary. In the process of rolling soothing circles around her daughter's back, she discovered that Elsa had grown even colder; the coolness even emanating from the young girl's body as it chilled the air around them. Water droplets suspended in the castle air had begun to crystallize; shrouding both mother and daughter in an unnatural flurry. Something without a doubt was not right. "Shhh, there, there. We'll figure this out. Don't you worry."

"But how…?" Elsa mumbled weakly from within her mother's arms.

The Queen honestly didn't know. She wished she did. But if only to ease her mind for the moment, she lied. "I just know we will, Sweetie. I promise."


End file.
